Jowler Creek Winery Review

Address: 16905 Jowler Creek Rd. Platte City,Missouri 64079.
Phone Number: 816-935-9471
Tasting Hours: Wed-Sun 11:00-5:00

Region: Missouri
Reviewer: Mark and Sonja
Review Date: 10/19/2014
Reviewer: Mark and Sonja
Rating: 4

The Review

Driving longitudinally down I-29 between Omaha and Kansas City, it’s unlikely drivers will miss the large signs positioned to let them know that Jowler Creek Winery is coming up fast. Not far from Saint Joseph and a short drive north of Kansas City, Jowler Creek is located several miles off of I-29, down a dusty road that will quickly allow visitors to forget the otherwise urban environment from whence they’re likely to have journeyed.

Driving up the gravel road to Jowler Creek, one might at first think they’re approaching the house of the owners, and indeed they would be right. Then off to the right, a large, barn-ish structure, decorated with picnic tables outside and plenty of parking appears. Inside, the tasting room is small, nearly claustrophobic when the event space is closed off, which it was the day of our visit, and guests milled about bumping into one another. The rest of the space, apparently, was reserved for a special party.

The wine list at Jowler Creek is somewhat limited but far from incomplete. Each wine adorned with its own, original animal-themed label, JC offers two reds, four whites (one of them blush) and three dessert wines. The reds include Norton and Chambourcin; the latter is made in a lighter-bodied style not commonly employed in a grape that is capable of being full-bodied and rich, but is nevertheless enjoyable, while the former is the bigger of the two, and was featured in “Everyday with Rachael Ray Magazine” (where Mark’s mother is sure not to have missed it). Both are nice wines, though if you’re strictly a red wine drinker, Jowler Creek may come up a little short.

The four white wines include a blend called “Critter Cuvee” which is as tasty as it is cutely named, if a little on the sweeter side, and we took a bottle of it home with us. Among the dessert wines, “Nort” – a perfectly-named port-style wine made with Norton grapes was enjoyable, as was “Muskrato,” a sweet white wine with, you guessed it, a Muskrat on the label.

We felt like the service at Jowler Creek was a bit rushed; the tasting room assistant’s thoughts about the wine were tired and rehearsed, and did little to add to the experience. Nevertheless, she filled our glasses and sold us wine which, we suppose, is her primary function, even if she didn’t do it with much enthusiasm.

All in all, we were glad we stopped at Jowler Creek. On a warm fall afternoon, we sat down at the picnic tables and enjoyed the sun a bit before piling back into the car to make the return trip from KC to Omaha. And if you find yourself making a similar trip, especially if you have a taste for sweeter wines and kitschy labels, be sure to stop by Jowler Creek.